Shoveling strategy

[Anonymous]

I shoveled early but now there’s at least an inch of sleet on top. I did ice melt, but that doesn’t seem to have done anything.

[Anonymous]

I’m going out every hour and it’s still heavy and horrible. Feels like a never ending struggle

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I shoveled early but now there’s at least an inch of sleet on top. I did ice melt, but that doesn’t seem to have done anything.

You have to use calcium chloride. And it may take a few hours

[Anonymous]

It’s noon on Sunday and we just finished the second round of shoveling. A thinner, less icy layer is always going to be easier than waiting.

[Anonymous]

I always prefer to wait and have that layer of snow underneath to help lift the snow. I may regret it this time but we'll see.
I covered my back steps in a plastic tarp last night to see if that helps prevent them becoming dangerously icy.

[Anonymous]

9am the snow was fluffy. Snowblower cleaned it well. By noon, the sleet had made it very, very dense. Hard to blow or shovel. Heart attack snow.

[Anonymous]

Round 1 at 8:15 this morning was easy here in Fairfax. Just came in and Round 2 was TUF! It's like shoveling 3 inches of sand stick to the driveway. VERY slick now too.

[Anonymous]

Literally no one on my street has shoveled anything.

[Anonymous]

I’ve shoveled three times. I am tired and grumpy and I need to do it again.

[Anonymous]

I shoveled at 8 am. It was as expected, 3” of snow. Then at 11am slightly easier. Then 1:30pm and it was tough. Glad I broke it up into 3 parts.

Make sure your outside furnace exhaust vents don’t clog w ice BTW.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Literally no one on my street has shoveled anything.

Same, I’m about the only one. We are in Arlington and have about 7 inches of snow and sleet. These people are gonna be screwed tomorrow.

Don’t forget to make a cut out from your driveway to the plowed road if you live in a neighborhood. Otherwise coming out of your driveway you’re gonna get stuck.

[Anonymous]

Shoveling Strategy: 8" Snow followed by 12h Sleet (<20°F)
When dealing with this specific sequence, the goal is to prevent the formation of "ice concrete." If sleet saturates 8 inches of snow and then freezes, it becomes nearly impossible to remove without heavy machinery.
1. The "Clean Slate" Phase
Action: You must shovel the 8 inches of snow before the sleet begins.
* The Risk: Sleet is liquid or semi-liquid; it will filter through the snowpack. When temperatures are below 20°F, this mixture freezes into a solid block.
* The Goal: Get down to the bare pavement. Even a half-inch of leftover snow will act as a sponge for the sleet and create a bond with the ground.
2. Chemical Management for Low Temps
Standard rock salt (Sodium Chloride) is ineffective once temperatures drop below 15°F to 20°F. Use the following guide for choosing a de-icer:
-- Rock Salt: Effective to 15°F. (Avoid in these temps)
-- Magnesium Chloride: Effective to -5°F. (Good choice)
-- Calcium Chloride: Effective to -25°F. (Required for these temps)
Apply your de-icer immediately after the first shovel pass. This creates a brine layer that prevents the sleet from bonding to the driveway.
3. The Sleet Maintenance
12 hours of sleet is a long duration.
* Intermediate Clears: Do not wait for the full 12 hours to pass. Sleet is extremely heavy (often 3x the weight of dry snow).
* The Scrape: Use a metal-edged shovel or an ice scraper to clear the slush every 3–4 hours. It is easier to move 1 inch of slush three times than 3 inches of solid ice once.
4. Safety & Ergonomics
Sleet-laden precipitation is often called "Heart Attack Snow." Because the temperature is below 20°F, your blood vessels are already constricted. Do not attempt to lift full shovel loads of water-heavy sleet.
* Traction: If the temperature stays below 10°F, chemicals may stop reacting quickly. Keep a bag of sand or poultry grit on hand for physical traction.
* The Tarp Trick: If you have a small walkway, lay a heavy-duty tarp down after your first shovel pass. Once the sleet ends, you can drag the tarp (and the ice layer) off to the side.

[Anonymous]

Second shovel just completed around 3:15pm. First round was completed around 10:30 am. Second round was much tougher with all the sleet - the ice is much heavier.

[Anonymous]

I just did a lap around the property shoveling the sleet layer. By the time I got back to my front door, the front step had accumulated as much as I had removed.

[Anonymous]

Can't keep up with the sleet and now it's dark. What else to check? Vents? Generator? Where? What?